• FORMER FIRE CHIEF PLEADS NO CONTEST TO RADIO THEFT: LOS ANGELES (AP) - A former Southern California fire chief has pleaded no contest to stealing more than $300,000 of radio equipment to sell on eBay and setting a fire in a bungled attempt to hide the theft.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Netflix's videos are streaming through Comcast's Internet service at their highest speeds in 17 months, thanks to a recent deal that bought Netflix a more direct connection to Comcast's network.

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A federal judge's objection to what he called the horrific treatment of some mentally ill inmates in California prisons highlights a trend that has been building for decades in the state and across the country: As mental hospitals closed or were scaled back, prisons and county jails have become the de facto housing for many who are mentally ill.

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The state Senate leader on Monday backed off an unpopular proposal for a so-called carbon tax on consumer fuels and instead wants to dedicate billions of dollars generated by California's greenhouse gas reduction law to affordable housing, mass transit and high-speed rail.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Federal officials on Monday proposed more than doubling the size of two marine sanctuaries off the Northern California coast, a move that would restrict the movements of cargo ships, aircraft and personal watercraft, and close the areas to oil and gas exploration.

• FBI ASKS TO MEET WITH SAN FRANCISCO SUPERVISORS: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The FBI plans to talk with San Francisco city leaders as part of its ongoing investigation targeting political corruption and an alleged organized crime syndicate in Chinatown, the agency confirmed Monday.